Could the Bucs Target Tom Brady's Successor in the 2020 NFL Draft?

Tom Brady's just arrived in Tampa Bay, but is it too early for the Bucs to groom his eventual replacement?

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are going all-in with Tom Brady, but that doesn't mean they won't have an eye to the future at the quarterback position.

Brady signed a two-year deal with the Bucs this offseason, but he'll be 43 years old by the time the 2020 season kicks off. Tampa Bay obviously has big plans with Brady leading the way over the next two years, but that may not keep them from investing in a young passer to groom behind the best quarterback of all time.

On a recent video conference call with local media, Bucs general manager Jason Licht made it clear the team will keep its options open at all positions in the 2020 NFL Draft, including the most important one.

"We can afford to do it, I think," Licht said of targeting a developmental quarterback prospect in this year's draft. "It is definitely something we would look at, but it just depends on who that player is, where he is available, what other players are in front of him [and] if we're sold on that player. It's not as easy as just picking any quarterback and thinking, 'OK, he's the developmental guy.' They're hard to find. They don't just appear out of nowhere. A lot goes into it from their tape to their maturity level – all of those types of things. It just kind of depends on who the player is. If there is a player that we like at the right place, I don't think we would have a problem taking him."

Blaine Gabbert has already been re-signed to a one-year deal to be Brady's backup, but that won't necessarily keep the Bucs from targeting one in the draft. If they do, they could carry three quarterbacks on the roster, or decide the rookie is good enough to warrant letting Gabbert go.

The Bucs are most likely to spend their picks in the early rounds of this year's draft helping to build around Brady, filling their biggest needs with prospects who can make an immediate impact on either side of the ball. But if the right player falls to them after the first few rounds, don't be surprised if Tampa Bay pulls the trigger.